1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally missile nose cones, and in particular to nose cones with integrated radar systems and/or antennas.
2. Description of the Related Art
Common present missile airframe technologies rely on a ceramic forward radome, a metallic seeker and guidance section fuselage, and an ablative thermal protection system with cutouts for side-mounted antennas and conformal radomes. FIGS. 1-3 show an example of such a prior art missile forward section 200, including a nose cone 201 having a ceramic frontal ogive radome 202, with a titanium nose tip 204. The radome 202 is made of slip cast fused silica. Aft of the ceramic radome 202 are a glass-reinforced phenolic composite material sleeve 208, a guidance section fuselage assembly 210, and a missile body 212. The antenna guidance section fuselage 210 includes an aluminum fuselage section 214 with a pair of cutouts 216 and 218. External thermal protection system inserts 220 and 222 fit into a recess 224 on the outside of the aluminum fuselage 214. The inserts 220 and 222 have respective cutouts 226 and 228 that overlie the aluminum fuselage cutouts 216 and 218. A pair of antenna radomes 232 and 234 are bonded to aluminum antenna trays 242 and 244, enclosing a pair of patch antennas 236 and 238 in the trays 242 and 244. The antenna radomes 232 and 234 are curved plates, made of a polymer material such as TEFLON, that serve as a thermal protective system, providing protection for the antennas 236 and 238. The antennas 236 and 238 are held in place by antenna trays that are fastened as an assembly to the aluminum fuselage 214. The patch antennas 236 and 238 are positioned at the cutouts 216/226 and 218/228 to send and/or receive signals through the radomes 232 and 234. A guidance section 250 is located within the front of the missile, coupled to a forward mounting ring 252.
The prior art missile has a number of seals: a bonded joint 260 between the ceramic radome 202 and the nose tip 204, a bonded joint 266 between the radome 202 and the phenolic sleeve 208, and polysulfide seals 268, 270, 272, and 274 at various points along the aluminum fuselage 214. Each of these seals represents a potential leak point.
There exists room for improvement in the present state of design of such missile noses.